Directed by
Robertson, Hugh A., American, 1932 - 1988
Subject of
Adderley, Cannonball, American, 1928 - 1975
Armstrong, Louis, American, 1901 - 1971
Baker, Josephine, American, 1906 - 1975
Basie, Count, American, 1904 - 1984
Calloway, Northern, American, 1948 - 1990
Cara, Irene, American, born 1959
Roy Eldridge, American, 1911 - 1989
Ellington, Duke, American, 1899 - 1974
Grant, Doug, American, 1959 - 2018
Hawkins, Coleman, American, 1904 - 1969
Henderson, Melanie, American, born 1957
Holiday, Billie, American, 1915 - 1959
Jackson, Mahalia, American, 1911 - 1972
King, B.B., American, 1925 - 2015
Simone, Nina, American, 1933 - 2003
Smith, Bessie, American, 1894 - 1937
Stone, Sly, American, born 1943
Winston, Hattie Mae, American, born 1945
Zawinul, Joe, Austrian, 1932 - 2007
Owned by
D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
Date
1971
Medium
polyester film
Dimensions
Duration: 25 Minutes
Length (Film): 900 Feet
Caption
Black Music in America: From then till Now is a short documentary that was directed by Hugh Robertson in 1971. The film discusses the history of musical genres rooted in Black cultural production and the ways in which historical occurrences, such as enslavement and Jim Crow, influenced the evolution of musical genres like the blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, and more. The film features performances by major Black musicians like Bessie Smith, B.B. King, Sly and the Family Stone, and others.
This film was a part of the Washington D.C. Public Library's circulating 16mm film collection housed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library. The collection is particularly noted for the wide variety of African American and African diaspora content.
Description
A documentary film with the title Black Music in America: From Then till Now. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm polyester film with optical sound.
The documentary features clips of some of the most recognized Black artists of all-time. The film is bookended by clips of Nina Simone performing her song “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black.” From here the film tracks the history of Black music to Africa and the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, pointing to the influence of traditional African drumming and also indicating that slave masters encouraged singing and dancing within the confines of the middle passage slave ships. Additionally, the documentary features performance clips from Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, Billie Holiday, Sly and the Family Stone, and other musicians.
Place used
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
Collection title
DC Public Library Film Collection
Classification
Time-based Media - Moving Images
Type
sound films
color films (visual works)
short subjects
16mm (photographic film size)
Topic
Africa
African diaspora
Documentary films
Film
Music
Musicians
Trans Atlantic slave trade
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2017.55.68.1a
Restrictions & Rights
Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd53065ec89-6845-4e4e-a4d3-799e2aadace7

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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